Peru

The Republic of Peru, (Spanish: República del Perú), or Peru, is a country in western South America, bordering Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the east, south-east and south, Chile to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Peru is rich in cultural anthropology, and is well-known as the cradle of the Inca empire.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Peru

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Peru is one of only three countries in Latin America whose largest population segment is comprised of unmixed Amerindians - the other two being Bolivia and Guatemala, where almost half of all Peruvians are Amerindian, or 45 percent of the total population. The two major indigenous ethnic groups are the various Quechua-speaking populations, followed closely by the Aymará, as well as several dozen small Amerindian ethnic tribes scattered throughout the country beyond the Andes Mountains and in the Amazon basin. Mestizos, a term that denotes people of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry, constitute around 37% of the people.

Related Topics:
Amerindian - Bolivia - Guatemala - Quechua-speaking - Aymará - Andes Mountains - Amazon basin - Mestizo - Europe

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Peru has two official languages - Spanish and the foremost indigenous language, Quechua. Spanish is used by the government and the media and in education and commerce, although there is an increasing and organized effort to teach Quechua in public schools. Amerindians who live in the Andean highlands speak Quechua and Aymara and are ethnically distinct from the diverse indigenous groups who live on the eastern side of the Andes and in the tropical lowlands adjacent to the Amazon basin.

Related Topics:
Spanish - Quechua

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Culture

Main article: Culture of Peru

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• Perú Cultural
• Music of Peru
• Peruvian Cuisine